"Begin" (Bob Franquiz)

TITLE: Begin: First Steps for the Journey of Faith
AUTHOR: Bob Franquiz
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013, (112 pages).

What does it mean to be a Christian? How do we pray? Why must we be a part of a community? Is there a simple way for beginners to study the Bible? Is baptism necessary? Written for the benefit of new believers, Bob Franquiz, founding pastor of Calvary Fellowship in Miami Florida has written a simple beginner's guide to begin one's journey of faith. Having experienced what it means to be without a guide on his early Christian growth, Franquiz puts himself in the shoes of a newly minted Christian, eager to grow and grasp at faith. He shares his five early decisions that helped shape his beginning.

1. Daily prayer with God;
2. Daily meditation on the Word;
3. Weekly Church attendance;
4. Fellowship with a community;
5. Public Expression of faith through Baptism.

Based on these five personal learnings, Franquiz shares his method of beginning faith. Being a Christian is basically about confessing Jesus as Lord, obeying God, and letting this relationship influence our relationships with others. He uses the Lord's Prayer as a guide for prayer. He focuses on community building in terms of caring, sharing, loving, and relating to one another in God's love. Reading, meditating, and living the Word of God is his three simple steps of learning about studying the Bible. He spends some time to explain why baptism is important.

So What?

The fact that a book like this needs to be written shows us the need among many communities to have a guide that is simple to use, easy to understand, and palatable to new believers. Pastors and teachers can use this book easily for their teaching curriculum. It is also priced like a typical Bible study booklet for use among young believers. For that matter, it is disappointing that the book does not have a set of study questions that can be used together with this. Do not expect heavy theological treatment on any topic. The teachings are at a basic level and most suitable for early discipleship classes. This book is a great gift for anyone who has just become a Christian; baptismal candidates; young believers; or anyone desiring a systematic guide to help them in their spiritual growth.

Rating:

conrade

---

This book is provided to me courtesy of Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.